


I’m Yours If You’ll Let Me

by Taekookalicious



Category: Bangton Boys, bangtan sonyeondan, bts
Genre: Falling In Love, Guilt, Homelessness, Innocent Jimin, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Sex education about rape, coming out story, crazy kim taehyung, position of power, sex education about abuse, unsupportive parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:35:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24989917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taekookalicious/pseuds/Taekookalicious
Summary: Namjoon has always felt the need to serve. He knew his intelligence was above average, he knew his way around computers and he was born to network. After completing his degree in Social Work, he was ready to fulfill his dream of helping someone, just who was still the question...Jin 24Joon 22Hobi 21Tae 20Kookie 18Jimin 17Yoongi 17
Relationships: Kim Namjoon/Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung/Jeon Jungkook
Comments: 43
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiJay_V1995](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiJay_V1995/gifts), [NaymeeTR76](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaymeeTR76/gifts).



The interview was today, this morning and Namjoon was more than a little nervous. He had his resume, his references and his notes. He had a lot of notes. This was a nonprofit for gay youth, it was a newer organization and there wasn’t a lot of information to dig into. He wanted to be prepared, to have well thought out questions to ask Kim Seokjin. Who was apparently, a ghost on Google because nothing was coming up. How was that possible? 

Namjoon was extra careful because he knew, if he wasn’t, he would spill, rip or break something. His brain was a blessing but his clumsiness was a curse. The yin/yang of the balance of his life. For the most part, he was a lucky guy, optimistic and mostly happy. He lived alone, in a one bedroom apartment that was small but cozy. He wasn’t rich but he was comfortable, thanks to his parents. He could take his time to find a position that he was passionate about. This was his third interview and he hoped that it would go better than the last two. There was no spark, no tingle in his brain to signal THIS.IS.IT. Kim Seokjin ran the nonprofit PROUD (a cute take on PRIDE) as a mix between an after school club and a learning center. 

A pamphlet provided the basic information, there were after school meetings, a mix of different classes and a community outreach program. The position he was applying for was Community Outreach Coordinator. His experience with coordinating was pretty limited but he had a way with people and if he could get his foot in the door, he was pretty hopeful that he would find that spark he was looking for. 

His interview was at 10 am, so he set off to get coffee (carefully) and show up early. When he opened the door, he was hit with a wall of sound. Three men (boys?) were running around chasing each other. The tallest had blue hair and he was giggling uncontrollably. He was picked up by the strongest and dragged away. The last man was shrieking like a siren and running away from the other two. They all stopped immediately and stared at Namjoon, who tried very hard to not to blush while they all looked at him with their mouths hanging open. 

“Hello, I’m Namjoon. I’m looking for Soekjin?” Staring. Blinking. Awkward. “Um, I have an interview here. At 10?” Finally, the sireny one stepped forward. With a blinding smile, he said, “I’m Hoseok but you can call me Hobi, everybody does. Jin is in his office and I’ll take you there.” Namjoon just glanced at the other two who seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. He followed Hobi to his meeting, feeling their eyes burrowing into him. 

Hobi knocked and let Namjoon into the office. Seokjin stood up and invited him to sit and get started. The interview itself was straightforward, the hours, the salary, the time commitments with fundraising and the goals for what was to come sounded perfect. “I’m really looking for another grown up here, Joon. I have ideas and plans and want to really help people. I want someone who can be my right hand and pick up where I leave off.” Jin and Joon felt a real connection and the interview went on for an unusual amount of time. Jin finished up by saying, “This is a family here. My brother Jungkook works here with his boyfriend Taehyung. My best friend Hobi helps with classes and the kids love him. We provide as much as we can for the teens who need it and I think you’d really fit well here.” Needing no time to think on it, Joon accepts the position and gets rushed out to be introduced.

6 Months Later

“JOON! JOOOOON!!!!” He looks up from his desk to see Taehyung scrambling into the office. “I need you.” 

“What is it THIS time Tae?” Joon rolls his eyes as he smiles up at one of his favorite people. “Save me. I can’t do this. I know I said I could and I did. Think that, I mean. But....I can’t.” Tae was staring at the ground and for such a loud person, he was suddenly very quiet.

“Is this about teaching the safe sex class?” Tae face flushed bright red. He just nodded slowly. “Okay, honey. Would you feel better if I taught with you? We could co-teach the class and maybe next time, you’ll feel ready to teach it on your own?”

Tae beamed. “Ahhh, that would be SO much better. I was at the store buying 15 bananas and just picturing the bananas, myself...the condoms, the bananas again, Jungkook. How do they even make glow in the dark condoms? What if they start asking ME how they’re made??”

Joon shook his head at the most adorkable boy he knew. “That’s what google is for Tae. When we asked if you wanted more responsibility, this is what we meant but we will take it slow, okay?”

Jin has an appointment with a new client and he was just walking past the classroom to hear Taehyung, “Safe sex is important. I like wall sex myself but you do you.” 

Jin did NOT want to think about his brother and Taehyung with any type of sex. Getting his intake paperwork ready, he waited for Jungkook to direct their new client to his office. 

As Jungkook worked the front desk, he took turns playing Super Mario with some of the teens waiting in the family room and occasionally answering the phone. 

He looked up to see a new face. He looked young and very nervous. He had a backpack with him, that he clung to. The new boy was looking around the room and Jungkook stood up to introduce himself. 

“Hi, I’m Jungkook. Welcome to PROUD. Is there anything I can help you with?” The boy mumbled very quietly. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to speak up?” 

“I’m looking for Jin? I have an appointment...” Jk smiled. “Ahhh. Jin is my brother. I’d be happy to take you to his office, follow me.”

When Jin looked up, he had to physically force himself not to coo. This boy was so cute. His sweet face had the cutest squishy cheeks. He was quiet and shy and soft spoken. But he was here for a reason so Jin got to work. 

“Thank you, JK. Please, sit down.” Jimin looked so small in his chair. “I like to start with some basic questions about just how we can help you. I’d like to hear a little of your story, you know how you ended up here?”

“Oh. Okay...Um. What would you like to know? Jin stares at the paperwork, “Let’s start with your age?“ 

“I’m 17.” 

“Alright, where are you currently living?” At that, Jimin stared down at his hands in his lap. His lip wobbled and he started quietly crying.

“Oh, Jimin. It’s okay pumpkin. We’re here for people when things are at their worst. I’ve heard a lot of stories and you won’t say anything shocking to me, okay?”

Jin handed Jimin a box of tissues and waited until he was ready to continue. “I was living at home with my Mom and Dad. I am a really good boy and I listened to everything they said. My grades are great and I have an after school job and I. Umm. I told them the truth, like they always told me to...”

Jin has heard this story before. “Did you come out to them Jimin?” He just nodded. “They read my texts. I had a friend at school and nothing happened. Nothing. We were just talking. I liked him...he was nice and I thought he liked me back and it was sweet.” He wiped away more tears.

“My parents got really mad. They told me if it was true, I had to leave. I could barely even pack anything, just my wallet and my backpack. I stayed with a friend but that’s not long term and I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Jin sighed. This was the challenging part. Jimin was 17, if he contacted children’s services, Jimin would have a year of transfers, new placements and potential danger. Not everyone was accepting. Jin had heard all the horror stories of foster care. There were some options, some wiggle room. 

“Are you still in school?” Jimin nodded. “Okay. The way we help every client is different. It depends on need. Some people just need a safe place to ask questions, some take advantage of the classes we offer to get them ready to be on their own, some have no where else to go.”

“I would like you to come home with us tonight. I can offer you a hot meal and a lumpy couch. I live with my brother, Jungkook and his boyfriend Taehyung. Hobi is around here somewhere and he is our other roommate. Namjoon practically lives at our house but he has his own place.”

“I want to give you some room to breathe, okay Jimin? Come stay, we’ll figure out school, your job and all the details in between.”

Jimin, having no other options, agrees. He is exhausted and his stomach is in knots. He has cried more in the past few days than he though possible. He blows his nose and takes a shakey breath. 

Taehyung is just finishing up the sex ed class. “In conclusion, flavored lube is the key. I like strawberry but do a taste test. That’s important. Any questions?”

Joon just stared straight ahead. He had just sat through 30 minutes of free range Kim Taehyung and he needed to reboot his brain. 

Several parts stuck in his head like Fingering 101 (With a google slide show of Jk’s “beautiful” hands) and Foreplay (How much is too much? Edging For Beginners) and also How To Pick Who Tops? The answer to that one involved rock, paper, scissors, a Twister game, a muscle contest and then turn taking, if Joon followed that correctly. 

Shaking out of his stupor, he also volunteered to answer any questions. When the class was over, Tae started rounded up the used bananas, because Jin promised to bake him banana bread. 

When Joon saw Jin he leaned in to whisper, “Next time, we need to look at his lesson plan. I mean it.” Jin smiles and introduced Jimin to everyone. Taehyung immediately latched onto Jimin to drag him out to the family room. 

“So..who is that?” Joon followed them out with his eyes. Jin looked over and rolled his eyes. “That is our new baby. He’s coming over to stay the night until we figure out a more permanent solution.”

“Jin. Jinny. My friend. You are the baby whisperer. The boss baby. You’re collecting them like Pokémon. Your house is filled up with your babies.”

And was Joon correct? Yes, so what? It was Jin’s house to fill up with whatever he wanted. “Wrap it up , Joon. It’s taco night and I want to get him settled in.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big decisions and tacos.

The ride to Jin’s house, in Jin’s car should feel awkward. He has never met these guys before and trusting strangers to feed him and give him a place to sleep should make him feel uncomfortable.

But Taehyung hasn’t stopped talking to Jimin since they met. “Okay, so Kookie and I have been together for two years and I moved in about 6 months ago. He is my best friend and it was love at first sight, for me anyways.” 

Jimin watched as the couple held hands and smiled at each other. “It was love at first sight for me too Taetae...I just couldn’t get up the nerve to talk to you for a long time.” 

Jimin frowned. “How hard was it to tell your parents?” Jungkook smiled, “Mine have always known. I was pretty open about it but I told Jin when I was pretty young. He helped my feel confident enough to tell our parents. They were surprised and took some time to work through it, but I’m still me and they love me.”

Jimin felt conflicted. It was good for Jungkook to have support but Jimin definitely felt jealous that his experience had been the opposite. He glanced at Taehyung and realized it was the first time he had seen him so quiet. 

Jungkook squeezed his Taetae’s hand tightly. “Tae’s experience was more like yours, Jimin. We met through PROUD.”

Taehyung sat up a little straighter. “I knew I liked boys for awhile but I pretended to like girls because that was what they expected. When I saw the flier for PROUD, I was curious. That was the BEST decision of my whole life.” 

Kookie beamed at his boyfriend. “I saw you walk in and you were the most handsome man, I had ever seen. It only took me two weeks to be able to speak to you,” he blushed while Taehyung laughed. 

“I think I talked to you or at you nonstop for those two weeks. I was just in awe of you. You were so shy and sweet. With your huge eyes always following me around. Without the push from Jin, I think it would’ve taken a lot longer for us to get closer.”

Jimin was thoughtful. “So...when did you tell your parents?” Taehyung frowned, “the day that Jin and Kookie moved into their house. I was done keeping us a secret and it wasn’t fair to my Kookie. They threw me out that day and luckily, I’m adorable and Jin said Kookie could keep me.” 

Jimin sat back and watched. He wanted that type of love. They seemed so sweet with each other and beyond his harmless flirting over the phone, Jimin hadn’t had a chance to do much more than imagine what his first date would be like. “I hope I get that someday. I want to be swept off my feet and romanced.”

“Jiminie we WILL make it happen. Give yourself some time to process all the changes. Feel your feelings and get your life in order, then Kookie and I will set you up with someone who will be SO SO perfect for you.” 

Kookie nodded along said, “We have classes at PROUD that you can take like self defense, I teach that”. Tae interrupted, “OH. Oh, you HAVE to take MY new class Gay Sex For Dummies.” 

Kookie tried not to laugh. “Is that really what you ended up calling it?” 

“Um...yes. You guys vetoed all my other ideas. 1) Penises, vaginas, oh, my. 2) Taeconda, naming your special friend. 3)....um I forgot number 3.”  


Jin helpfully chimed in, “I believe 3 was Kookie Worship and Multiple Orgasms. Which was not something I wanted to be traumatized by so that one was a NO.”

Jimin looked horrified while Jin and Hobi just laughed. “You will get used to our crazy Taetae. He is a handful almost ALL the time but there is no one I would rather have loving my brother. We’re home babies.”

Jimin stared up at the small house that looked like a gingerbread cookie house. It looked warm and inviting. He could tell that they put a lot of effort into making it their own, there were flowers planted, a little garden and even a porch swing. 

They invited him in and offered him a tour of the 3 bedroom, two story home. It ended with the living room and his couch bed for the night. Jimin looked up just as Namjoon let himself in the front door with some groceries. Jin announced it was time for making tacos and started assigning everyone a job. 

Apparently, Namjoon was not allowed in the kitchen so his job was to go to Hobi’s room, get some pajamas and towels so Jimin could shower before dinner.

Jimin followed him and tried not to blush too much. He kept taking little peeks at Namjoon and then staring at the floor. His dimples were so cute and Jimin had never seen someone so clumsy. How he managed to knock down the cup of toothbrushes twice, was impressive. “Oh, not again. Damn it. Why doesn’t this happen to anyone else?? I’ll see you downstairs Jimin.”

Joon went back to the living room to wait for dinner. Jin was in charge of the stove, Jungkook was chopping vegetables and Hobi was dancing with Taehyung around the dinning room, setting the table. This was their usual way of spending time together. Jin and Joon had quickly become best friends. They loved to talk about movies, music and their plans for the future. 

“So, Joonie. Jimin will sleep here tonight. We’ll sort out school and his job tomorrow.” 

Joon stared hard at Jin,“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

“Huh. What? Me? Meeeeee? Fine BUT what would you think of taking Jimin to stay with you?” He rushed in quickly, “It’s just that we already have a full house here and I know your place is small but you could totally have two of you there. I don’t want him to feel alone. You’re closer to his school. I just feel like he NEEDS us. Any of this working yet?”

Namjoon was surprised but also...not really. While Jin could be spontaneous his ideas were usually pretty sound. He was definitely someone Joon trusted and if Jin thought it was a good idea, why not?

“Can I think about it? I’d like to get a feel for him first. I don’t really know anything about him.” Jin just nodded and smiled back at him. 

He looked up to see Tae running up to Jimin and dragging him to the table to sit at the head. “The guest of honor!” Taehyung sang at him. Jimin giggled and looked around at everyone. “Thank you so much for letting me stay. I’ll try hard to be helpful and stay out of the way.”

Jungkook made a frustrated sound. “No, Jimin. No. You won’t be in the way, this is a family and you’ll be a part of it but please don’t feel like you have to be quiet and hide away. This is not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

Jimin looked teary again and Hobi reached over to grab his hand to give it a squeeze. He heard Jimin’s tummy growling and asked, “Jimin. Jiminie...when is the last time you ate?” 

“Uh. Oh, today at PROUD. Jungkook gave me a snack.” He was getting shy again. Hobi kept pushing, “And before that?” 

“Umm, yesterday.” With that, Jin had heard enough. He grabbed the plate with tortillas and started loading Jimin up, passing down the meat, rice and veggies. He gave Namjoon A LOOK that said, “See? See this baby that needs us?”

Namjoon just nodded. He felt it too, Jimin was supposed to be with them. Now they were 6.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jin AKA the parent

It was Tae and Kookie’s night for dishes. They gathered up the plates and started putting the leftovers away. Jin didn’t actually remember saying that he’d bake banana bread but Tae wouldn’t lie to him, so he tells him to leave out the “sex bananas” as Tae keeps calling them and he’ll bake in the morning. 

Everyone else makes their way to the living room. Jimin still feels unsure of himself here. He’s fidgiting and nervous. Jin starts out with, “So...Jimin. Are you in your last year of school?” 

“Yes, I’m a senior but I don’t really know what I’m going to do about college.” Jin nods. “That’s okay. We’re going to do this one day at a time. We’ll work our way down and check things off. Okay?”

Jimin was surprised when Tae and Kookie came out of the kitchen and each sat beside him. Tae squeezed his hand and snuggled in next to him. 

Joon felt like it was the right time for him to start. “Jimin? I talked with Jin and we both feel like, when you’re ready...you can come to my apartment to stay. It’ll be closer to your school, I can probably drop you off on my way to work?”

Jimin looks confused. “You don’t want me here Jin?” They all answer back immediately, “Of course we do.” 

Jin looked seriously at Jimin, “Joon just has more space, you’ll have more privacy. We want you here, as much as you want. Joon is here practically everyday too because he would starve to death. We don’t want that for either of you so you will still be HERE a lot. 

Taehyung leans into Jimin. “We can have movie nights and we can do sleepovers and then make breakfasts together. I am QUITE a chef, you know? I invented M&M pancakes and also s’mores pancakes. He cutely nodded his head, very proud of his accomplishments in the kitchen.

Jin smiled at Tae and then grimaced remember how horrible cleaning up was, after Chef Taehyung was finished. Last time, he found flour spilled all over INSIDE the fridge, Tae melted a plastic spatula and in throwing away every “oops” pancake Tae managed to melt through the garbage bag. So when Jin finally got the kitchen back to his standards and went to do the last job (emptying the garbage) the bag ripped apart and garbage ended up all over the floor. 

Jin was a saint and never stopped Tae’s cooking adventures but he preferred Kookie or himself to do the cooking. Everyone praised Tae’s successes and his thick jelly sandwiches were a breakfast favorite. 

“Sleepovers? Really?,” Jimin was smiling. He felt a real connection with Taehyung, who was trying so hard to make him comfortable. He glanced at Kookie who smiled back at him. 

Joon tried again, “My place is not huge but I think we’ll both be comfortable. After school you can keep your job and come into PROUD when you have time. If your parents change their minds, great but if they don’t, you’ll be safe here with all of us.”

Jimin was starting to feel his exhaustion. Hobi left to make up a bed on the couch and everyone else moved to kitchen to give Jimin some space. 

Jin wanted a few minutes alone with Jimin so he said goodnight to Joon. They had another day of work together tomorrow. He told JK and Tae that he loved them and headed to the living room. 

Hobi had just finished laying out the blankets and pillows. He gave Jimin a hug and told him, “Everything is going to be alright. You’ll see. No one likes feeling unsettled but sometimes change is good.”

Hobi was off to bed and the house settled down. Jimin looked very small, laying on the couch. “You are one of my four babies now. I’ve got you, okay? If you need anything, we’re all right upstairs. But maybe stay out of Tae’s room because they both sleep naked and it can be pretty startling.” 

Jimin just took in that information with a serious look on his face. “Uhh. Good idea. I will definitely stay out of there.”

Jin went upstairs to start his nighttime face routine and tried very hard to ignore the breathy moans coming from his brother’s room. They were a very affectionate and extremely loud type of couple but everyone here was used to them. 

Tomorrow was a new day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Namjoon’s Namjooning

Joon headed home. He was thinking about the logistics of sharing his space with someone new. Jimin wouldn’t need that much space because he really didn’t have any stuff. It would be easy to give him some drawers and closet space. Homework could be done at the kitchen table. Beds were a problem because it was just bed, singular. There was a couch but it wasn’t a comfortable couch. Namjoon knew that he could be an over thinker, so he was trying to tone it down.

He was doing pretty well with the money Jin payed him and his parents had always been generous. He decided that he would order a sleeper sofa tomorrow. Then the babies could have sleepovers at his house too. That made him smile with his dimples popping out. Tae loved to poke his dimples and it always made him shy. 

When he thought back to first meeting Jungkook and Taehyung he was surprised just how well they fit together. Everyone knows those type of couples where you always say their names together because you’re just so used to them ALWAYS being together, it’s the only way it feels normal. He wonders if he’ll have that too someday. He’s been on a few dates but never felt any spark. He’s thrown himself into work and enjoyed his free time. He wouldn’t say he’s lonely but he does find himself alone a lot. 

After starting work at PROUD, it didn’t take long for Jin to bring Joon home. Seeing what Joon would bring for lunch (or buy really) Jin had a lot of questions about his personal life. He found it hard to believe that Joon REALLY couldn’t cook. Even Tae could kind of cook. 

Bulgogi was an easy dinner so Jin marinated the beef in the morning and invited Joon for dinner. By now he was used to the amount of craziness that ran through Jin’s house. Hobi was loud and Tae was LOUDEST. There was always music, dancing or video games happening in the living room. 

That day, Joon tried to warn him that he was a true disaster in the kitchen but Jin was determined to teach him. Rice is easy and a rice cooker makes it even easier. Jin explained the measurements and stood back to let his friend try it. Joon wasn’t stupid, he was a literal genius but he did feel cursed. A lot.

As he poured the rice and water in, he breathed out a sigh of relief. He could do this. He reached out to plug the rice cooker in, made sure the lid was on and stepped back. “What next?”

Jin sets out zucchini, carrots and onions. “The chopping. We’re going to be very careful and go slowly but if you have a good technique....” Jin felt a little nervous as he watched Joon pick up the knife and stare at it. Jin was so absorbed in keeping Joon’s fingers attached to his hands that he didn’t smell the smoke at first. 

He heard a weird pop and a crackle. The rice cooker was on fire. Joon panicked and yelled about water but Jin kept his wits and unplugged the unit. He reached under the sink and grabbed the fire extinguisher and put it out. They both stared at each other while everyone else ran into the kitchen, yelling.

Shooing everyone but his cooking partner out, Jin knew he could still save dinner. He got a pot to make rice on the stove. He asked Joon grab the glass bowl with the marinading meat to bring to the stove. He turned around just in time to see the bowl slip from his hands and land on the counter, shattering shards of glass all over the vegetables. 

Jin finally understood what Joon meant and from that point on he was banished from the kitchen for his own safety. It didn’t stop him from destroying something everyday but it made cooking safer. Jin felt better knowing he could cook for his best friend and Joon felt better knowing he wasn’t melting expensive kitchen appliances. He did pay to replace the rice cooker. 

Everyone else it a good laugh about it and Hobi ordered pizza. It didn’t take long to clean up all the non edible food and disinfect the kitchen. They ate pizza outside, as playful as ever. Joon went home happy that night, like he did almost every night. He was satisfied with his life, his job and his newfound family of friends.

He wasn’t sure what if would be like to share his space with Jimin but he was warming up to the idea of make a new friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving Day

Jin woke up early to start making what he couldn’t stop thinking of as “Sexy Banana Bread.” He got up and got dressed and made his way, quietly past sleeping Jimin and into the kitchen. 

He preheated the oven and got out a large mixing bowl to start crushing up the practice peni. Penises? Well handled bananas. He looked up to see Tae cutely yawning as he sat down with his puffy cheeks and messy hair.

“Sexy Banana Bread time? Oh. OH, no. It HAS to be Sexy Banana Bread with nuts. Get it?” Jin just rolled his eyes and continued mashing bananas. He knew the routine. Hobi would sleep until the last minute and then go to work. Kookie would get up soon and go to the gym before going into work and Tae and Jin would have breakfast and head into PROUD together. 

“Speaking of sexy time, how many times must I hear you getting biblical with my brother?” Tae laid his head on the counter and spoke into his arm, “Technically, he was getting biblical with me and probably like a million more times. Your brother is hot, like I glare at 30 people a day, just for the way they shamelessly eye him up and down.” 

Kookie chose to walk into the kitchen then, smirking at Tae. “Like I don’t have the same problem? You are the most beautiful creature on Earth.” He wraps his arms around his boyfriend because he can. 

The day starts with coffee for everyone but Tae and they all enjoy the smell that the baking bread scents the house with.  
Jimin wakes up just as Hobi and Kookie leave. Tae brings him his breakfast to his couch bed. 

Jin encourages Jimin to eat until he’s satisfied. They wait for him to get up and ready so they can drop him off at school. While he was getting dressed Jin packed him lunch and slipped it into his backpack. 

They dropped him off, promising someone would be back to pick him up because he didn’t have work today. He would hang out at the office until Namjoon was ready to take him home. 

Getting into work, they both had plenty to do. Kookie and Tae had both had smaller roles in the past. They were great at talking to the kids who came in, settling down the ones that were upset, cleaning up, handing out snacks, ect. They both intended to work here long term and they wanted more responsibility. 

Tae would be going to an offsite meeting with Jin today about potential donations and investments. He had been thoroughly prepped on business meetings, appropriate conversation and business casual clothes. Jin was not going to complain about the avocado tie that he was wearing because it was a tie and he should’ve been more specific. 

That would leave Joon with Hobi this morning to answer phones and be at the front desk. Kookie would be in soon and he was teaching self defense today, in the afternoon. That meant they needed to keep Tae busy or he was get that blank smiling look on his face, while he openly fantasized about his man, usually out loud. 

There was an unspoken rule to keep them apart during classes. Jimin would be here by then and he would be a great distraction. 

Jin’s meeting went well, they agreed on a donation to put their company name on their new pamphlets as a sponsor. Tae watched and learned and liked feeling like he was an important part of the company. He was excited to get back and tell everyone all about it. 

Joon was out doing some shopping for the store room, getting snacks and office supplies. Kookie was manning the desk when they got back. Jin went to the office and Tae sat down on Kookie’s lap. “I missed you so much,” he was whispering in his boyfriend’s ear. 

All of a sudden Tae yelled, “Ugh. I’m wet!” Kookie nodded in a way to say yeah you are. Hobi was spraying Tae with a water bottle. “BAD KITTY! Get off of Kookie during the work day.” Tae giggled and jumped away. “I’m his baby tiger...how’d you know?”

Hobi just looked disgusted. “With all the kinky shit you two do, I’m not surprised. I found your maids outfit hanging in the laundry room this morning.”

Kookie looked mortified while Tae just beamed. “My Kookie looks beautiful in anything. And nothing.” With a wink, he went to go help Joon with his bags.

Kookie just stared down at his hands and Hobi could not stop laughing. “I DON’T want to talk about it.” 

“No kink shaming here. I’ve actually learned quite a lot sharing a wall with you two......Daddy.” He left Kookie sputtering at the desk. 

Hobi left to pick Jimin up. He texted to let him know in the group chat and sat back in the car to wait. Jimin found him after a few minutes and thanked him for getting him. “I need you to distract Tae for a little while, if you can.” 

Getting back to PROUD, Kookie was setting up for his class. It was basic self defense. Kookie was skilled in martial arts and boxing and being the teacher was helping him to overcome his shyness. Jimin walked in to see Tae practically drooling. He walked up to him and touched his arm. 

“Jiminie!! How was school? Did you have a nice day? Did you find your hidden lunch?” Jimin took Tae’s hand and led him to the office. Hobi gave Kookie a thumbs up and went to run the front desk. 

Joon was in the office and caught snippets of conversation from Tae. “A maid’s outfit, a feather duster, his belt and ankle bracelets with tiny bells on them.” Jimin just shook his head, “But what are the bells for? 

Tae just rolled his eyes like that was a silly question. “When I have his legs over my shoulders, I like the tinkling sound they make. Duh?” 

Joon stepped in to rescue Jimin who still looked confused. “Tae, I think maybe keep that for the advanced sex ed class. Are you okay Jimin?” He blushed so hard his face and ears turned red when he realized what Tae meant. 

Joon had copies that he needed made and he sat Tae down with a list so that Jimin could do his homework. An hour passed by in no time. It wasn’t a particularly busy night and they weren’t all staying until closing time. 

He took Jimin aside and made sure that he was still okay with coming to his house. He was and Namjoon let him know that they had a few errands to run before they got home. First stop was the furniture store. Jimin insisted that no one needed to spend money on him. He was small and he could fit on the existing couch but he was outvoted. 

Then they moved onto sheets, pillows and blankets. Joon wasn’t sure what else he would need but this was enough for now. The couch would take 3 days to be delivered so Jimin would see what Joon meant by uncomfortable. 

Next stop was the grocery store because there was usually not much in the fridge. He felt like he had to be responsible so he picked up a lot of healthy snacks, easy breakfast foods and things for Jimin’s lunch. When Jimin was working more, he could buy groceries too. 

They came home loaded with bags. He would have to have a key made but for now, he and Jin each had one and Jimin would pretty much be with one or the other. 

Jimin helped put away the food and they ordered Chinese for dinner. He sat at the kitchen table to finish his homework. Joon made up a bed on the couch and went to take a quick shower. The food came while he was in the bathroom so Jimin signed for it and set the table.

He was still in awe of Namjoon when he came out in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He tried really hard not to stare but he was long legs and arm muscles and a face that just didn’t make sense with how cute he was. So cute. Dimples and cute. Damn it, he was staring again. He definitely had a crush. 

Namjoon was trying hard not to stare too. Jimin looked so squishy. His eyes would disappear when he laughs and he giggled really cutely. He rolled his whole body when he was playing around with Tae and Kookie. He told himself that he liked watching them all be silly and happy. That was all, yep, only reason. 

They ate and listened to a playlist that Jimin made. He was feeling a little more comfortable here but it still wasn’t “his” space yet. He knew it would take time. They cleaned up together. Jimin needed to do laundry because he only had 3 outfits in his backpack. So they mixed their clothes together to go down to the laundry room. 

Jimin had finished up his homework so they went back to the apartment and he was encouraged to look around. “Wow, you have a lot of books. Oh, you have board games. Could we play one?” They chose Mancala and Namjoon explained the rules of moving the little gems from space to space. Jin played with him sometimes but he didn’t really have a lot of other guests over to play with so this was nice. 

Before long, they switched the clothes into the dryer and finished their 3rd game. It wasn’t really a game of skill just chance and luck. Jimin took his turn in the shower and helped fold their laundry when it was dry. It felt nice to just relax and not feel stress. When they were ready, they brushed their teeth and went to bed. 

Jimin lay in the living room thinking about just how lucky he was. Who knew where he would have ended up without their help. That fear of not being wanted was still there. Even if he had a crush, he would never tell him. Namjoon was an adult and for the moment, he was responsible for Jimin so he would not do anything stupid to jeopardize that. If his parents were supposed to love and protect him, how would a stranger feel, if he made him uncomfortable? No. He would lock up his crush, deep down and figure out how to be an adult about it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings

It’s been a week since Jimin moved in with Namjoon. They were getting a routine down. The sleeper sofa had been delivered and it made Joon feel a little pride in what he picked, when Jimin sunk down into the pull out mattress and sighed happily. Tonight was his first sleepover with Tae and Kookie. They were planning a movie night just for themselves with pizza and popcorn.

Jimin hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time. He was getting ready to leave school when he saw his Mother standing out front. He stopped and stared at her. 

She looked upset. “Hello, Jimin. Are you ready to stop this foolishness and come home?” He didn’t know how to answer her back. Anything he said would probably make her mad. 

“You know I didn’t pick this right? I didn’t choose to disappoint you. This is how I am...I can’t change that and I don’t want too.” She stepped back another step. “So you’re not coming home with me? After everything we’ve done for you?”

“No. I guess I’m not. I’m safe and I’m staying with friends and if you can’t accept me...then no, I’m not coming back.” She turned and walked away without another word and he broke down right there. This was how it always was, short and to the point with no arguments, no disagreeing with her. His whole life it was listen or be ignored. Other families didn’t seem to act like that...why did his? He pulled out his phone. “Namjoon? Can you come and get me, please?” Then the tears started. 

When Joon pulled up to the school, he could see Jimin looking tiny, all curled in on himself. “Honey, come here. What happened?”

“My Mom came to see me...and...and she asked if I’ve changed my mind? Like it’s a switch I could turn off or something. She looked at me so coldly and she walked away.” Jimin cried from the heartbreak of losing his parents a second time. 

From experiencing this at work, this wasn’t new to Joon and he knew there wasn’t much he could say that would change anything. He just held Jimin and rubbed his back. When he was ready, he grabbed his backpack and took him home. 

There was still time before his new besties were coming over. He told Namjoon he wanted to take a bath and just be alone for a little while. He poured bubbles in the tub and sunk down into the hot water. 

He was so mad at his parents and he was frustrated with the situation he was in. There were a lot of happy memories from when he was little but as he got older, he definitely felt like they had both pulled back from him. He wondered if they had suspected anything before he brought it up?

He put the hot wash cloth over his eyes and tried to calm himself down. There was nothing he could do about how other people felt but he was happy that he’d spent at great week with his new family. 

He had been to Jin’s house every night for dinner, he had gotten help with his homework and played video games that he had never even seen before. He laughed a lot, there was something about Tae that just pulled him like a magnet. It seemed to affect Tae too because as soon as they saw each other, it was snuggles and playtime. 

Jungkook was different. He was always there and Jimin could tell he cared but he was more hands off than Tae. It got to the point where he had to ask Tae if Jungkook was mad at him. “Kookie? My Kookie? Mad at my soulmate? Pshhh...never.” Jimin just blinked back at him. Tae just scooped him up and dropped him on the couch by Kookie. “Kookoo, please tell Jimin what I call him.” 

Kookie looked up smiling, “A hot piece of ass?” Tae’s mouth opened and closed, like a fish, “Omg. NOOO. Well, yes but the OTHER one.” 

“Ahhh, your platonic soulmate.” Jimin couldn’t believe it. Someone else loved him that much? He smiled so big and his eyes disappeared, making his cheeks extra cute. He had thought about that moment a lot this week and he was relieved to know that they supported him too.

It was time to get out and set up for his sleepover. Namjoon ordered the pizza and Jimin flipped through Netflix. He made popcorn and dragged extra blankets to his bed. 

When they rang the bell, he was ready for them. Not for the way that Tae jumped on him and wrestled him to the ground though with a gigantic hug. “A little help?” Kookie hauled his boyfriend up and over to the bed. 

“You know I like it rough babe,” Tae giggled. Joon rolled his eyes, “Frisky. I’m headed over to Jin’s. I’ll be back late and I hope you guys have fun. Do NOT have sex on my bed. I’m serious.”

Jimin turned beet red and mumbled goodbye. Tae did not miss that for a second. Joon left and Tae was in Jimin’s face. “Uhh. What was that? “ Jimin kept his eyes down, “What?”

Kookie could see where this was going. “Tae he could just not want to talk about sex?” Tae was already shaking his head. “No way. I have been watching sweet little Jiminie all week, Kookie. His eyes follow Joonie around like a puppy. Are you Joonie’s puppy Jimbles? Do you want him to put a collar on you and lead you around?”

Luckily, the pizza arrived and Jimin ignored him. Tae went to the bathroom and Kookie followed Jimin to the kitchen and asked, “Are you okay? I can try to get Tae to tone it down...he won’t even a little but I can ask?” Jimin just smiled, “I’ll tell him if it’s too much.”

Picking up paper plates and pizza Jimin waited until Tae came back and told them about his run in with his Mom. They gave both him a big hug and wanted him to pick the movie. They all snuggled on his new bed and had fun talking through all of the movie Zootopia. 

Tae was in the middle and he had Kookie spooning behind him. He was ready to keep the earlier conversation going. “Sooo. Care to explain why you stare at Joonie like you want to eat him up?” 

Jimin yelled out, “I do NOT. Wait...does everyone think that?” Kookie said no at the same time Tae said absolutely. Jimin pulled his pillow over his face. “I just think he’s really cute and I want to poke his dimples andkisshisface.”

Kookie sat up at that, “Really?” Jimin sat up and nodded slowly. “But you can’t say anything. I mean it. I am NEVER gonna act on it because of a million reasons. He owns this apartment, he could have anyone he looked at, I never even asked if he’s gay, he calls me one of the babies (that hurt but whatever) and I’m greatful to even have somewhere safe to be. You have no idea how terrified I was that I’d end up on the street.”

Kookie seemed understanding but Tae was insistent. He was already listing reasons it could work in his head. “Uh huh, but you’re gorgeous. Joonie is lonely, he has never said that to me in those words exactly but I can feel it. He is gay but he’s a shy gay. I have heard him tell Jin about a few dates that he’s had but none of them sounded recent.” 

“We’re all their babies but Kookie and I hump like bunnies. Like multiple times a day. I gave him a fantastic bj in the car on the way over. Just because we’re younger doesn’t mean that we’re not like them. I don’t know if he’s attracted to you but we’ll keep watching. The living here thing, he would never throw you out, never.”

Kookie put his hand over Tae’s mouth and Tae licked him until he let go. “Did I say anything that’s not true?” 

“Ok...Taetae, I love you so much. You are my dream guy.” Jimin looked at Kookie, “That’s it? He just blurted out that sexual stuff and that’s it?”

Kookie just looked at him with so much love. “Yep. I will take whatever he gives me and tell him everyday how much he means to me. He is the sexiest, sweetest and freakiest man I know. I’m so proud that he’s mine.” Tae started making out with him and that went on for the next 20 minutes. Jimin cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher. 

He went in Namjoon’s room to get his pajamas. He was halfway through changing when Namjoon surprised him and walked in. He tried to cover up and felt so bad when the poor guy stumbled and slammed right into the door. Hard. Jimin pulled his shirt on and ran over to see blood all over his face. 

Tae was now straddling Kookie on the bed and they were in their own little kissing bubble. Jimin led him to the kitchen to wet a towel and sop up the blood. Lifting his head up and leaning back, “I didn’t know where to look. They paid NO attention to me coming in and I am so sorry I didn’t knock. And I stared. I didn’t mean to.”

They both cocked their heads when they heard the shower start. Jimin just laughed, “Are they always like that?”

“I love them both. So much. But yes, you need to get used to that. And NEVER go to the movies with them. Or anywhere dark really.” He shuddered. 

Jimin looks like he wants the gossip. “Well, what’s the weirdest thing they’ve done?” 

“Several things pop up immediately. Thanksgiving. Jin cooked a massive meal and decorated with one of those cornucopia things. It had all sorts of squashes and mini pumpkins? The next day all the squashes disappeared. Along with all the pie and whipped cream. We were curious but we never asked. One day at the grocery store Tae holds up a zucchini and winks at Kookie asking if it reminds him of anything?”

“Christmas Eve they carry on the family tradition of pajamas for a gift to open before bed. Tae got Kookie a Picachu onesie and Kookie got Tae full on lace lingerie, with edible panties and a garter belt. And we didn’t see them until lunchtime Christmas Day.”

Jimin laughed so hard he rolled on the ground. “Lingerie? In front of everyone?” He nodded, “They do NOT care. I guarantee they are having sex in our bathroom because I said not on my bed. You have to be very clear with them. Tae will find any loopholes.”

“My favorite was the hammock swing outside. It was dark so we couldn’t see anything but Jin and I ran screaming from the backyard when we realized they were 69ing under a blanket. They are the loudest, kinkiest people in know.” 

Jimin felt really shy all of a sudden. “Have you ever done anything like that?” He couldn’t look him in the eye. “Me? Have I...what? No. Uh uh, nope. I mean I want to. Find someone, I mean a partner...I’ve dated a few times but I’m so clumsy and I get nervous and then something breaks or I knock something over. I’ve never had a second date.” 

They were looking each other in the eyes now. Jimin was just about to say something when Tae burst into the kitchen. “Why do you have lube in the bathroom? I mean I’m glad you did but I’m curious? Don’t most people keep it in their bedroom? Cuz we looked there and you don’t have any.”

“Goodnight Tae. Goodnight Jimin.” Kookie limped into the kitchen, “OMG. Goodnight Kookie.” He went to brush his teeth and go to bed.

Tae was pointing at Jimin, “Umm. What was that?” Jimin growled back, “What was that?! You ditched me to get a quicky in the shower?” Kookie chimed in, “That wasn’t quick. We can be quick. One time we used a stopwatch just to see how fast we could be...it was so fast. We had to practice a lot though. For science.”

“I’m going to bed,” Jimin laid down on his side and listened to Tae obnoxiously chewing on gummy worms. “What? I’m hungry...” He fell asleep smiling and listening to Kookie sing a lullaby to his baby.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams

In the morning, Jimin made everyone a pancake breakfast and Tae was disappointed there were no s’mores or M&M’s. Namjoon didn’t have to work today but Tae and Kookie did, so they packed up their bag and left. 

Jimin and Namjoon were going shopping today. With only three outfits, it was getting frustrating doing so much laundry. Jimin still felt a little weird about their talk but he felt himself drawn to follow Namjoon around.

They drove to the mall to shop. Jimin’s parents had been pretty controlling, even down to what he was allowed to wear. Some people might hate shopping but he was really looking forward to it. “Is there anything you’ve always wanted to wear,” Joon asked? 

“Yes, ripped skinny jeans. I’ve always wanted to try them but my parents said they’re inappropriate,” Jimin grumbled. Joon was determined to help Jiminie find things that would make him happy. 

They talked while they shopped. “Soo. When you told your parents the truth, how did they find out at first?” Jimin sighed, “Well, I had an app on my phone with parental controls. I never realized that it could read all of my texts too. I had a friend in my class, Yoongi. We worked on a few projects together and just kept texting. It was nice...I liked knowing that someone was thinking about me. Texting me good morning. We were just flirting and it was harmless. Just talking about a date. A hypothetical date because it never got that far.”

Joon felt a little jealous, “Do you still talk to him?” Jimin shook his head, “No, his parents feel the same as mine so it’s safer for us not to talk. I’m wouldn’t want this to happen to him too.”

They headed to the cell phone store and Jimin didn’t know what was happening. Joon asked him to take out his phone and they switched phone companies and he was added onto Joon’s phone plan. He smiled down at Jimin, “Now, no one will know who you’re texting and they can’t just shut it off.” Jimin smiled and thanked him. When they were leaving, their hands brushed against each other and it made Jimin shiver. 

Jimin found several t-shirts, comfy sweat pants, skinny jeans and a new pair of shoes. He argued against him but in the end, it was all paid for by Namjoon. 

They decided to get lunch and had noodles in the food court, sitting across from each other. They split two meals and Jimin couldn’t help smiling shyly, when their feet kept brushing together. 

Because it was Namjoon and bad things always happened to him, today was no exception. Going up the escalator, his untied shoe lace got sucked into the metal teeth of the stairs when they got to the top, causing him to slam down on his knees and wrestle with his now shredded shoe lace.  
He was, in a way, really used to this. Things like this happen everyday and if it wasn’t breaking dishes, or a pair of glasses, it was a broken faucet (pieces still in his hands) or an accidentally baked cell phone (you would think that he would have felt it or even seen it happen but no, no he didn’t, he got the warranty and insurance on everything he could).

Jimin picked up the bags and hauled him up by the hand. “Come on, let’s go home Joonie.” There was no frustration, no making fun of him, just a smile and when he got up, he held Jimin’s hand. That was the first time he’d called him anything other than Namjoon. 

Jimin had homework to do before they went to Jin’s for dinner. They sat in the living room, each doing their own work and it was nice. Their apartment was pretty quiet for the most part. Jimin definitely felt himself relaxing and he drifted off and took a nap.

Joon finished up his work and just watched Jimin sleep for a little while. In his head, he was really struggling. Jimin was young, no doubt about that. He was coming out of a very controlled environment and he would need time to learn about himself, figure out what he liked and what he wanted. As cute and sweet as Joon thought he was, it wouldn’t be right to like him like that. He would keep those feelings to himself. 

He gently shook Jimin awake, “Jimin, it’s time to wake up.” His eyes were still closed and he moaned very quietly. Joon put his hands on Jimin’s shoulders to shake him awake a little more forcefully and heard, “Nooo. Touch me there Joonie. Ohh, yeah. I like that.” 

He backed up immediately taking his hands off of Jimin. He watched him and he seemed like he was still asleep. He moaned after another minute and he couldn’t look away. Jimin was dreaming about him? Touching him? This made Joon feel a little overheated, just a little like he was about to combust. 

He set an alarm on his phone for five minutes and went to splash cold water on his face. The alarm woke Jimin and he looked calm and happy. He went to put away his homework and get ready to leave. 

Telling Jimin what he heard would only embarrass them both. There was no sense in that so he would just keep it to himself. They finished getting ready and made their way to Jin’s house for spaghetti night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spaghetti Night

Namjoon hoped he was acting normal. They listened to music on the way to Jin’s. When they got there, Jimin was pulled away by Tae and Kookie, while Joon sat at the table watching Hobi chop vegetables for a huge salad (Jin made sure everyone ate their daily vegetables). 

The whole house smelled like pasta sauce, basil and garlic bread. Jin came out to bring the plates to the table. He stared at Joon and immediately knew something was wrong. “Hobi, can you set the table? I need to talk to Joonie for a minute.”

He dragged him out to the hammock in the backyard. “Come sit with me?” They both leaned back and looked at the sky. “Are you okay, Joonbug? You look distracted..”

How to answer that question. He’s not a pervert. He’s a virgin, with very little experience, beyond embarrassment and disappointment in the handful of dates he’s had. If he tells Jin that he’s attracted to Jimin, Jin will...he’ll....he actually doesn’t know what he’ll say. But the feelings in his head are shame and anxiety. He doesn’t want Jin to hate him or feel like he can’t trust him. 

Jin starts in a teasing voice, “How is it going with your roommate?” He gets a sigh in response. “Talk to me, please? If this isn’t working out we can look for somewhere else...”

“NO. No, it’s not that. He’s settling in and moving him wouldn’t be good for him, it would just be more stressful. We had a great day actually. He’s opening up more and sharing things about his family.”

“Then why are you so spacey and confused looking at my table, hmm? As your best friend, I can tell that your geniusy brain has your wheels spinning about something. What are you so worried about?”

“I. I don’t want you to hate me,” he whispered. “Namjoon Kim. Are we best friends or WHAT? Why would I hate you? Are you stealing or something?”

“Robbing the cradle....maybe?” Jin just stared for about 30 seconds and then he burst out laughing. “All this is about Jimin? The cutest little mochi cheeked, practically 18 year old Jimin??” 

“Wait. What did you say? I’m not a pervert?” Joon sounded as surprised as he looked. Shaking his head, “No, Joonie. You are clearly NOT a pervert. Have you heard Tae talk about Jimin’s ass? It’s like his favorite subject. He might be one but not you.”

“I’m responsible for him though and I brought him to live with me...what if he feels pressured or obligated?” 

“He is your roommate. You are not responsible for him, when his parents chose to throw him out, he became an adult a little earlier than he planned for. You are providing for him, yes. It’s maybe not the most traditional way to meet someone but that doesn’t mean you weren’t meant to meet. Now, let’s go eat dinner, okay?”

For now, the dream would stay a secret.

Meanwhile, in Tae’s room, the interrogation had begun. “Why are you blushing so hard? Spill.” Jimin just hid his head in Kookie’s pillow. “Ugh....it’s embarrassing. I had a dream about Joonie, while I was taking a nap on the couch. It was a really, umm...nice dream?”

Kookie blurted out, “You had a sex dream??” Tae just laughed and got all excited and bounced around. “Any details you wanna share with the class, my dear Jiminie,” raising his eyebrows up and down.

No, he did not. The dream was confusing. It just mostly felt nice to be held and there was kissing. Joonie touching him was all his brain’s imagination because he could only guess what that would actually feel like. Hobi chose that moment to pound on the door and call them out for dinner, making all of them jump. 

Dinner felt a little awkward. Until Jimin took his first bite. “Omg, Jin. This is amazing. Did you make the sauce?”  
Jin, ever proud of his culinary ability is nodding his head, “It’s easy. Mushrooms, sausage, green peppers, spices, garlic and you let it simmer all day.”

Hobi broke in, “So, Jimin...what did Namjoon break and have to buy at the mall today?” Joon groaned, “Come on guys? Not today?”

“He didn’t have to buy anything and the only thing he broke was a shoelace.” Everyone looked at Jimin like he was lying. 

“The first time we hung out here together, one on one, he accidentally broke off the doorknob in the bathroom and he was locked in there for two hours, until I was able to get the door off,” Kookie said.

“The first day I worked with him, he fell on a box of 20 lightbulbs, shattered them all and broke his thumb,” Hobi added helpfully.

Taehyung said, “I keep a note in my phone to document all the clumsy/mysterious things that happen to him. In the 6 months we’ve known him-

1) He’s dropped his phone in the toilet three times and shattered the screen once.  
2) He’s on his 2nd car battery IN 6 MONTHS.  
3) He’s lost his keys 4 times and never found any of them.  
4) He’s broken three pairs of glasses and lost 6 pairs of AirPods.  
5)The one time we let him get the cake for my birthday, it fell out of the box in the driveway and he tripped on it, getting cake all over his clothes and making both his hands bleed. 

“Okay, enough. I know that sounds like a lot of things (Kookie yelled, “Because it IS a lot of things!”) but you guys are making him feel bad,” Jimin glanced at Joonie who was looking down at his hands. “None of that sounds like it was his fault, they were accidents. He’s just been unlucky.”

Jin smiled at Jimin, thinking it was cute that he was being so protective. Everyone moved onto talking about the video game tournament they had planned after dinner. Kookie and Tae had to do dishes, Hobi and Jin were setting up Super Mario and Joon was shyly watching Jimin. 

He stepped up to him and asked if he wanted to go for a walk? Jimin agreed and they slipped their shoes on. There was a park at the end of the street so they made their way down. “Hearing some of my curse, it didn’t scare you away?”

“Nope. Wait that was just some?” Jimin looked up at him and he smiled so sweetly. Joon took a deep breath, “On my last date, we were at a nice restaurant and I don’t know how but I set my date’s sleeve on fire with the candle. The date before that, I accidentally knocked him into a fountain. The date before that we were taking a painting class and I tripped and knocked my canvas into his and they both tore and covered him in wet paint.”

Jimin grabbed his arm and laughed so hard that he pushed himself into Namjoon. “You are making some of that up, that can’t all be true?”

“No, it’s all true. It’s humiliating and I hate that it happens but seeing as you live with my now, you’ll probably be able to make your own ongoing list.”

“Well, when you agree to date me, I will be thoroughly prepared,” Jimin realized immediately what he just said and looked panicked.

“Yes, you will be.” He took Jimin’s hand and they started walking back to the house together. Joon was feeling pretty proud of himself at the moment. 

They walked into the house holding hands and everyone turned to look. Jimin was the perfect height to hide in Joon’s side while Tae whistled at them and yelled, “Get it, Jimin!!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares

Everyone stayed up late, playing video games. It was really a three way contest between Jin, Tae and Kookie. In the end, Kookie won like he usually did, with his boyfriend as his biggest cheerleader. 

Joon pulled Jimin out to sit on the porch swing together, to look at the moon. While they were both looking up, Joon snuck his large hand into Jimin’s smaller one, “Your hands are so cute.” Jimin smiled at him and rubbed his thumb along Joon’s hand slowly.

“Umm. So, we should talk about this,” Jimin started.

Joon agreed, “Well, I feel like we should maybe go slow and get to know each other better, become friends and then talk about dating?” He said everything hesitantly because he wasn’t sure how Jimin felt. A dream was just a dream and that by itself didn’t mean anything BUT Jimin said out right that he wanted to date. So that must mean he’s thinking about it too? 

Jimin was still feeling shocked. Namjoon was so cool and just a real adult. He’s done everything the right way, made his way through college, gotten his first real job and an apartment. Jimin still feels small and more than a little unloveable.

Sitting down next to someone that is practically still a stranger, he felt hopeful that something good would come out of this. “Slow works for me. I’m tired Joonie, can we go home now?”

They made their way inside, said goodbye to everyone and thanked Jin for another great tasting dinner. The drive home felt fast and Jimin was surprised that Joon spent a few minutes tucking him into bed, in the living room. Not too hands on, still very awkward and shy. Just brushing his hair out of his face and telling him he really had a fun night together. 

Tomorrow was Sunday, a day to do laundry, go grocery shopping and a free day with no work for everyone. Jimin was looking forward to cooking dinner and trying to feel like he was pulling his weight as a roommate.

Jimin felt himself drift off to sleep, after being told goodnight, he felt really happy. 

His dream started out positive, he was running around with Tae and Kookie, laughing and joking around. They just relaxed him so much and everything with them felt colorful. But then it got dark, like a storm was rolling in and it was sudden and scary and Jimin felt himself trembling. He was alone, in his old bedroom and it felt so claustrophobic. He didn’t want to be here again. He left, he shouldn’t be here now...

His parents were there and then Joon too. He wanted to keep Joonie behind him, he shouldn’t have to see this. His parents were glaring at them. They told him it was wrong and he knew how they felt. Men don’t date other men. It seemed like they were screaming at him but their mouthes never moved. He could just feel their hatred pouring off of them and then they took Joon! He disappeared and Jimin could feel his breath quicken, he was trying not to panic but where did he go??

He was running, trying to chase them but he wasn’t moving. He felt helpless and frustrated. Why wasn’t anyone listening to him?? Where did they put Joon?

He woke up crying and then sat up very fast. He knew it was silly, it wasn’t real. Dreams shouldn’t affect you this much, but it really hit a sore spot inside of him. He knew how his parents felt, they were longtime church members and they truly believed how their church interpreted the Bible was the right way. 

He laid in bed, wiped his eyes and tried to take deep breaths and calm himself down. It took a long time for him to feel settled and while he only remembered that dream, he had several more throughout the night. It was like his brain was slowly processing all the changes in his life and they were some pretty big things to adjust to. He woke up feeling emotional and exhausted.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday Funday

Jimin was slow to get moving Sunday morning. He could hear Joon taking a shower so he moved around in the kitchen, making breakfast. There were so many things that were different about living with someone else, just the foods he was used to having at home were different from what was in this kitchen.

He decided to make Nutella toast and use up the last of the fruit before they went shopping again. He was just settling the plates on the table when Joon came out of the bedroom.

“Thanks, Jimin. You didn’t have to do that,” he said smiling with his dimples. And oh.....oh, did Jimin like looking at those cute, happy dimples. 

“You’re welcome. Did you have a plan for what you want to do today?” He dug into his breakfast and looked across the table, waiting for an answer.

“Well, groceries first and we can tackle laundry when we get back. Maybe bring something back for lunch?” Joon looked at Jimin and could see he looked a little tired, he had some dark circles under his eyes. He hoped that wasn’t him, causing Jimin more stress.

Jimin finished up and went to shower, while Joon cleaned up. He decided to call Jin to brainstorm some ideas of where he could take Jimin that wouldn’t feel like a date. Jin picked up after two rings yelling, “I don’t care if you have an anal bead collection! Don’t wash them in my kitchen sink Tae! Hello?”

Joon tried not to laugh but couldn’t help it. “Uh, what is that about? And hi.”

Jin snorted, “I don’t want to wake up in the morning to make coffee and see a rainbow of anal beads, drying in my dish rack. I just don’t.” 

Joon could hear Tae yelling about proper sanitation and dishwashers and then Jin yelled back, “I am NOT homophobic Taehyung but there is a such thing as privacy and MYSTERY. Keep a little of that alive, please! Tae was getting quieter as Jin moved further away. “That kid is something else,” Jin moved into his bedroom and closed the door. 

“Okay, Joonbug. Now it’s quiet, please continue.”

“Umm. First just...good morning, I guess? And Jimin and I are running some errands today and I kind of wanted to take him somewhere to distract him but I don’t want it to feel like a date. Do you know of anywhere that just screams friends?”

Jin started, “Friends hmmm. Well, there’s a Farmer’s Market in the town square. They’re having a duck race fundraiser today for charity and you can win prizes.” 

That sounded good to Joon, something he typically would never go to by himself. Jin sighed, “Kookie, I was NOT yelling at your future husband for no reason. NO, I never said to use a hose outside, I have to go Joon. See you tomorrow.”

He thanked Jin and went to see if Jimin was ready. He was toweling off his hair when Joon came into the bedroom. “So, Jin mentioned something that might be fun this morning. A friend thing...because we’re friends,” Joon stumbled. 

Jimin nodded, “Uh huh. We ARE friends. And friends like to just hang out. What is this fun, friend activity?”

“Finish getting ready and you’ll see,” Joon smiled that way that Jimin loved and mysteriously left the room. He hoped this was going to be something that could lift his mood.

They drove to the town square and it was a pretty busy looking market. There was a duck race, where you could buy a rubber duck with a number on the bottom. It also had a bake sale and under the trees, a dog adoption table with several dogs for petting and playing with. 

Jimin was feeling better already. They started with the duck race, there was a new race every 15 minutes and the ducks were only $1. Joon bought them each two and they put them into the little ducky whirlpool to wait.

They didn’t end up winning but they did coo over the little babies playing in the water. They watched mostly families getting prizes of stuffed animals. The weather was beautiful and they were both enjoying themselves.

They moved onto the bake sale and bought some treats. Jimin’s diet has been tightly controlled too so he was tempted with all the options. They decided on brownies and finished them off on a park bench before moving onto the area that Jimin was the most excited about.

“Omg, they have puppies!! It’s a puppy pen. Can we play with them PLEASE???” Jimin was jumping up and down and grabbing Joon’s arm. He pulled him by the hand to get in front of the puppies. 

It was a whole litter of little cute black and white, fluffy puppies. There were so many running around that it was hard to count but there had to be at least ten. For another donation, you could play with the puppies inside of their penned off area in the grass. Jimin paid this time because friends take turns.

Joon could not stop staring at Jimin. He was adorable with his eyes scrunched close, laying on his back just giggling. Joon snapped a few pictures on his phone and laid down next to Jimin to get a selfie together. That was a mistake because he was immediately attacked by the puppies who wanted to lick every part of his face. The few pictures he did get had puppies smothering them both. Joon has one dog trying to bite his ear, one laying on his stomach, one fighting with his shoe laces and one tugging on his hair. 

He looked over and Jimin was worse. He had six puppies licking and biting him all over and he looked like he could just stay there all day. “Oh, I want a puppy someday. They’re so sweet and they make everything better,” Jimin said hopefully.

“Maybe, someday Jimin.” Joon saw that their time was up and he reached out to haul Jimin up with him. 

It was time to be grown ups and go grocery shopping. Jimin had a list this time to make sure that he had the ingredients he needed for making dinner (thank you Pinterest).

The rest of their day was pretty quiet. They got sandwiches together, took the food home and started their laundry. They spent some time cleaning up and then Jimin kicked Joon out of the kitchen. He planned to make an easy recipe. He had been required to help not only his Mom but also in the Church kitchen. Nothing he did was too complicated and he had never actually been in charge of anything.

So he was a little nervous about doing a good job. When he had questions, the first thought he had was to call his Mom. Seeing as how she wasn’t really an option anymore, he settled for Mom number two. 

“Jin? It’s Jimin. I need cooking advice, please?”

“Jiminie! Jiminie Cricket, I am sooo glad that you called me. What seems to be the trouble?” 

“Umm, so I’m making a sheet pan recipe with chicken and vegetables. How do I know when the chicken is done? I don’t want my first dinner to give us both food poisoning.” 

Jin laughed, “Yeah that would be pretty memorable. First, pick the largest chicken breast and cut it through the middle. If it’s cooked all the way through, you should see clear juices and no pink color. If you do see that, just pop it back into the oven for 10 more minutes. Good luck with your new friendship, not a date, sorta romantic dinner. BYE.”

Jimin made a salad and set the table. This was NOT a romantic dinner, there were no flowers or candles or anything. What did Jin know anyway? 

When everything was ready, he walked into Joonie’s bedroom and found him asleep, on top of his bed. Feeling sneaky, he took a picture of him on his phone. He wasn’t very sneaky because Joon opened one eye to stare at him, “Busted,” and he was smiling up at Jimin. 

Dinner was really nice, it was a lot calmer than at Jin’s house. They were still getting to know each other and they had a lot to say.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday Funday

Jimin was slow to get moving Sunday morning. He could hear Joon taking a shower so he moved around in the kitchen making breakfast. There were so many things that were different about living with someone else, just the foods he was used to having at home were unlike what was in this kitchen.

He decided to make Nutella toast and use up the last of the fruit before they went shopping again. He was just settling the plates on the table when Joon came out of the bedroom.

“Thanks, Jimin. You didn’t have to do that,” he said smiling with his dimples. And oh.....oh, did Jimin like looking at those cute, happy dimples. 

“You’re welcome. Did you have a plan for what you want to do today?” He dug into his breakfast and looked across the table, waiting for an answer.

“Well, groceries first and we can tackle laundry when we get back. Maybe bring something back for lunch?” Joon looked at Jimin and could see he looked a little tired, he had some dark circles under his eyes. He hoped that wasn’t him, causing Jimin more stress.

Jimin finished up and went to shower, while Joon cleaned up. He decided to call Jin to brainstorm some ideas of where he could take Jimin that wouldn’t feel like a date. Jin picked up after two rings yelling, “I don’t care if you have an anal bead collection! Don’t wash them in my kitchen sink Tae! Hello?”

Joon tried not to laugh but couldn’t help it. “Uh, what is that about? And hi.”

Jin snorted, “I don’t want to wake up in the morning to make coffee and see a rainbow of anal beads, drying in my dish rack. I just don’t.” 

Joon could hear Tae yelling about proper sanitation and dishwashers and then Jin yelled back, “I am NOT homophobic Taehyung but there is a such thing as privacy and MYSTERY. Keep a little of that alive, please! Tae was getting quieter as Jin moved further away. “That kid is something else,” Jin moved into his bedroom and closed the door. 

“Okay, Joonbug. Now it’s quiet, please continue.”

“Umm. First just...good morning, I guess? And Jimin and I are running some errands today and I kind of wanted to take him somewhere to distract him but I don’t want it to feel like a date. Do you know of anywhere that just screams friends?”

Jin started, “Friends hmmm. Well, there’s a Farmer’s Market in the town square. They’re having a duck race fundraiser today for charity and you can win prizes.” 

That sounded good to Joon, something he typically would never go to by himself. Jin sighed, “Kookie, I was NOT yelling at your future husband for no reason. NO, I never said to use a hose outside, I have to go Joon. See you tomorrow.”

He thanked Jin and went to see if Jimin was ready. He was toweling off his hair when Joon came into the bedroom. “So, Jin mentioned something that might be fun this morning. A friend thing...because we’re friends,” Joon stumbled. 

Jimin nodded, “Uh huh. We ARE friends. And friends like to just hang out. What is this fun, friend activity?”

“Finish getting ready and you’ll see,” Joon smiled that way that Jimin loved and mysteriously left the room. He hoped this was going to be something that could lift his mood.

They drove to the town square and it was a pretty busy looking market. There was a duck race, where you could buy a rubber duck with a number on the bottom. It also had a bake sale and under the trees, a dog adoption table with several dogs for petting and playing with. 

Jimin was feeling better already. They started with the duck race, there was a new race every 15 minutes and the ducks were only $1. Joon bought them each two and they put them into the little ducky whirlpool to wait.

They didn’t end up winning but they did coo over the little babies playing in the water. They watched mostly families getting prizes of stuffed animals. The weather was beautiful and they were both enjoying themselves.

They moved onto the bake sale and bought some treats. Jimin’s diet has been tightly controlled too so he was tempted with all the options. They decided on brownies and finished them off on a park bench before moving onto the area that Jimin was the most excited about.

“Omg, they have puppies!! It’s a puppy pen. Can we play with them PLEASE???” Jimin was jumping up and down and grabbing Joon’s arm. He pulled him by the hand to get in front of the puppies. 

It was a whole litter of little cute black and white, fluffy puppies. There were so many running around that it was hard to count but there had to be at least ten. For another donation, you could play with the puppies inside of their penned off area in the grass. Jimin paid this time because friends take turns.

Joon could not stop staring at Jimin. He was adorable with his eyes scrunched close, laying on his back just giggling. Joon snapped a few pictures on his phone and laid down next to Jimin to get a selfie together. That was a mistake because he was immediately attacked by the puppies who wanted to lick every part of his face. The few pictures he did get had puppies smothering them both. Joon has one dog trying to bite his ear, one laying on his stomach, one fighting with his shoe laces and one tugging on his hair. 

He looked over and Jimin was worse. He had all the other puppies licking and biting him all over and he looked like he could just stay there all day. “Oh, I want a puppy someday. They’re so sweet and they make everything better,” Jimin said hopefully.

“Maybe, someday Jimin.” Joon saw that their time was up and he reached out to haul Jimin up with him. 

It was time to be grown ups and go grocery shopping. Jimin had a list this time to make sure that he had the ingredients he needed for making dinner (thank you Pinterest).

The rest of their day was pretty quiet. They got sandwiches together, took the food home and started their laundry. They spent some time cleaning up and then Jimin kicked Joon out of the kitchen. He planned to make an easy recipe. He had been required to help not only his Mom but also helped in the Church kitchen. Nothing he did was too complicated and he had never actually been in charge of anything before.

He was a little nervous about doing a good job. When he had questions, the first thought he had was to call his Mom. Seeing as how she wasn’t really an option anymore, he settled for Mom number two. 

“Jin? It’s Jimin. I need cooking advice, please?”

“Jiminie! Jiminie Cricket, I am sooo glad that you called me. What seems to be the trouble?” 

“Umm, so I’m making a sheet pan recipe with chicken and vegetables. How do I know when the chicken is done? I don’t want my first dinner to give us both food poisoning.” 

Jin laughed, “Yeah that would be pretty memorable. First, pick the largest chicken breast and cut it through the middle. If it’s cooked all the way through, you should see clear juices and no pink color. If you do see that, just pop it back into the oven for 10 more minutes. Good luck with your new friendship, not a date, sorta romantic dinner. BYE.”

Jimin made a salad and set the table. This was NOT a romantic dinner, there were no flowers or candles or anything. What did Jin know anyway? 

When everything was ready, he walked into Joonie’s bedroom and found him asleep, on top of his bed. Feeling sneaky, he took a picture of him on his phone. He wasn’t very sneaky because Joon opened one eye to stare at him, “Busted,” and he was smiling up at Jimin. 

Dinner was nice, it was a lot calmer than at Jin’s house. They were still getting to know each other and they had a lot to say.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting To Know You

After dinner, the two were sitting on the couch together, holding hands, as friends...well don’t. They both had their feet up on the coffee table, stretched out.

Joon looked into his eyes and smiled, “There’s so much I want to know about you. Do you have any cute nick names? Are you in any clubs at school? What kind of music do you like?”

Jimin thought for a minute, “Hmm. I’ve just always been Jimin. I think Tae calling me Jiminie was my first nick name. I have been in clubs before but since it’s my senior year, I tried to keep my schedule clear to focus on my grades for college. I work 3 afternoons a week so I thought that was enough.”

He tucked his feet underneath himself and made himself a little smaller, “My job is really easy, I work at a gym, in the daycare. I get to play and color with the kids that come in while their parents work out. It feels like the time goes fast because they’re there such a short time. It’s not a very stressful job for the most part.”

Jimin pauses to think about his next answer, “I listen to a lot of music, mostly pop music, I guess. I’m not very picky, maybe you could show me what you like?”

Namjoon nodded and pulled out his phone to his music app. He browsed through and decided on his relaxation playlist that had Years and Years’ song Memo first. 

Jimin thought a lot about the lyrics singing about loving you and no one has to know. He asked to hear it a second time. It frustrated him that he had to make a choice to be himself or hide. He really hadn’t even made a choice, he still felt like it was pushed on him. “It’s not fair that people expect us to hide to make THEM feel more comfortable, you know?”

Yes, Joon knew, “If you could do it over again, would you still tell you parents Jimin?” 

“I don’t know. If I didn’t and I had to be secretive about so much of my life...that would hurt, you know? But at the same time, this is so much worse, I think. Being away from home and just cut off from them makes me sad but not just sad, more lonely. You guys are great to be around and a distraction to keep me out of my head but when I’m alone...it aches. If I could imagine a perfect way, I could’ve told them and they would love me unconditionally and nothing would have really changed. But that’s not realistic and I probably should’ve thought ahead and planned it better. I knew how they felt but I didn’t think that shutting me out was a possibility because it’s me?”

Joon pulled him closer to hug him. “I’ve heard so many ways of telling, hiding or being outed. There’s no right way or wrong way. I still haven’t come out to my parents either. I’m a little scared of their reaction, I’m afraid of rejection and without knowing exactly how they’ll feel...I’m just hesitant. I haven’t had a reason to tell them either. They know I’ve been on dates but I just never specified who I was going out with.”

Jimin smiled up at Joon and agreed, while he snuggled into his side. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

He gently rubbed his fingers up and down Joon’s arm, without thinking about it.  
“I like your nick name Joonie. Jiminie is okay and I would never tell Tae but I don’t FEEL like a Jiminie.”

Joon watched the small fingers, rubbing up and down his arm, “Don’t be mad but your hands are so, so cute. Mini little fingers...if you don’t love Jiminie can I call you Mini, little Mini Jimin? 

Maybe he would grow into Mini or Jiminie, maybe he just needed more time to get used to both of them. “Yeah, Joonie. I kinda like it.” 

Joon picked up their hands and kissed his cute fingers. “This is just a friendly hand kiss. That’s a thing, I think. Well, we can make it be our thing.”

Jimin kissed Joon’s hand back, “I like your voice, just listening to you calms me down. And I like your laugh. And you have  
dimples that I just want to touch.”

Namjoon leaned back, stretched his legs out and said, “Go ahead, you can touch...”

CRASH

Jimin jumped up when Namjoon accidentally kicked the coffee table over. Namjoon just slumped down and buried his face in his hands. “I knew today was going too well,” he reluctantly got up to flip the table back over.

Jimin couldn’t help laughing. Joonie was embarrassed and his cheeks were pink and Jimin just looked at him so fondly. “If the worst part about you, is that you’re accident prone, I’ll take it.”

They didn’t stay up too much later because of their early start tomorrow but Jimin felt like something shifted in a really good way. He had nice dreams that night that included a lot of snuggling puppies.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends

Namjoon dropped Jimin off at school and headed to work at PRIDE. He was working on a grant proposal to bring in more money for community outreach. It was the kind of work he enjoyed doing, getting lost in the writing and the research aspects of the proposal. 

Surrounded by books, he had been working for about an hour when he heard the shouting. He suspected that it was Tae so he was really surprised to hear Hobi yelling and Kookie yelling back. 

Hobi seemed like he was continuing a fight that they had started on the way over. “I can’t live like this Kookie. If I knock on your door and you’re making porn YOU DON’T SAY COME IN!! I have seen you both naked a ridiculous amount of times but I have never and I mean NEVER wanted to see the whole show. That will be burned into my brain forever. Forever. For. Ever.”

Kookie yelled back, “I’m sorry, okay! It was an honest mistake. I wasn’t thinking about it, my brain was just in another realm. When I heard the knock, I just thought come in and then I said it. I didn’t do it on purpose and I am NOT an exhibitionist.”

Joon snorted, “Really? You could have fooled me. If you aren’t then Tae definitely is but I sort of suspected that both of you were.”

Kookie just glared, “Ugh. We play a lot, we explore what interests US. Today, we wanted to film ourselves for us to watch PRIVATELY, it is a perfectly normal thing for a couple to do. I don’t want or need to be kink shamed by you two. We have a perfectly normal and healthy sex life. I’m done talking about it and I’m going to watch the desk up front. Away from you guys.”

Hobi was not in a forgiving mood. He turned to Joon and huffed out, “You see them but you don’t live with them. Jin must sleep with headphones on because it’s everyday. It’s not just in the bedroom either. I have never seen anyone use as much lube as those two do. They must buy it in bulk. I was cleaning the living room and found a bottle under the couch. Where we all sit. There’s one in the shower and the laundry room. Why the laundry room? Where do they even have space to do anything in there?” He paced around the office and decided to go organize the supply room, until he cooled down.

Jin came in a little later. “What’s with Jk?”

Joon smiled, “Umm. He’s fighting with Hobi.”

“I’m staying out of it,” Jin started putting his things away at his desk. “I have several appointments today and a lot to do.”

By lunchtime, Tae slipped quietly into the office. He kept himself busy and stayed by Kookie’s side for most of the day. When closing time came, everyone was deciding what their plans were for the night. Tae volunteered to go pick up Jimin from work and everyone else went home with Jin.

Tae showed up in Joon’s car, smiling and waving at Jimin. “Hi, Taetae. You’re my ride tonight?” He really enjoyed spending time with Tae but it was unusual for him to be alone. 

“Where’s Kookie?” At that, Tae got quiet and sighed. 

“Everyone’s at home. Hobi is mad at us and I’m so embarrassed that I just hid out front all day,” Tae started to drive them home. 

“Do you want to talk about it Tae?” Jimin had seen him quiet before, but it was rare. Tae shook his head and focused on driving. Jimin reached out, took his hand and kissed it. “Joonie says this is a friend kiss and we’re friends so I hope you feel better soon.”

Tae had so much running through his head at that moment. “First, since when is Namjoon Joonie to you? Second, he KISSED your hand and you didn’t tell ME?? What the hell? Third...I’m feeling a lot of feelings and I changed my mind and do feel ready to talk now.”

Jimin was happy that he wanted to share with him, “Okay. He’s been Joonie since Saturday and he kissed my hand last night. Also, he gave me a cute nick name. Now what happened to you today?”

Tae pulled up in the driveway and they sat in front of the house, in the car. “Umm. Hobi saw us having sex this morning and he screamed a lot and he and Kookie were really yelling a lot this morning. I went into work later but we haven’t really talked about anything. I feel bad but like, it wasn’t my fault. I’m not the one who said come in, you know? But I feel like I get all the blame for anything to do with sex. I’m older than Kookie and I should be more responsible but it doesn’t usually feel like that. I feel like he takes care of me.”

Jimin was still new to any talk about sex so he tried to think of something to help. “Are you embarrassed about the fact that’s he saw you or something else?”

“Obviously, I never wanted him to see that. I don’t care about nudity and we’ve all seen each other naked at one time or another. I think it bothers me that Hobi and I are so alike in a lot of ways but everyone always makes me feel like I’m too much sometimes. Like I’m weird. I know I stand out but sometimes, it’s hard.”

Jimin leaned over and hugged Tae very hard so that he was extra close. “Taetae, you are the coolest person I have ever met. You have so much confidence, you are SO handsome but the best part of you is just how quirky and great you are. You are always yourself and yourself is loud and sweet and fun. You are a genuine person and I feel lucky to be your friend.”

Tae hugged him back and he felt lighter after their talk. Getting out of the car and walking towards the house they looked at each other. Tae said, “Nick name?” at the same time as Jimin said, “Wait, Kookie said come in?!”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sex Ed For Dummies

One week later

The fight with Hobi had settled down. Everyone had apologized and a lock had been added to Taehyung and Kookie’s door. They bought Hobi a new pair of expensive headphones and a white noise machine.

It was Monday again and Jimin didn’t have work today so he was hanging out at PRIDE. It was another Sex Ed For Dummies class and Jimin decided last minute to overcome his embarrassment and see what he could learn from Taehyung. 

He stepped into the classroom and took a seat in the back of the class. He watched as Tae mumbled to himself and set up his props and his notes. He was ready to get started.

“Welcome to Sex Ed For Dummies. I am Taehyung and I have been having sex for about a year but I would have to check the tapes for the exact date. I am a homosexual man with the hottest boyfriend on the planet. This class is to help educate you and answer your questions. I’m here to give you real answers because our educational systems’s Sex Ed sucks.”

He looked up at Joon, who had reminded him before class about the importance of a lesson plan. He knew he could do this, he had practiced so much last night. Joon didn’t look super happy...yet. Tae also noticed Jimin and tried to remain professional, even though he was so excited that his soulmate was taking his class and that made him smile SO BIG. But first, deep breath, confidence, confidence, back to his lesson plan. 

“We are going to cover several things in today’s class. Safety, not just protection but all around safety. Are there any red flags in your relationship? Emotional safety, do you feel like your partner and you are ready to take that next step? Safety with your family...do they know about you or is it a secret? There are no wrong answers UNLESS you disagree about condoms. Condoms are for EVERYONE. EVERY TIME. Wait. Unless you are lesbians.” 

“Common questions to get out of the way first. Oral sex is with the mouth, anal sex is with the butt and no, penis size does not matter. Everyone is shaped differently and if you are super concerned, please see your doctor. Do not corner me in the back of the classroom because I do NOT want to see it. Masterbation is normal, healthy and causes no side effects other than occasional chaffing from too much of a good thing. On the desk I have samples of fleshlights and several types of vibrators, please look and touch if you want. 

He handed out a printed list to the class.  
“Diseases are no joke and there are some that you can’t just treat and recover from. Read through this list, it includes symptoms and when diseases can be symptomless. If you have any suspicions, go to the doctor.”

Joon gave him a thumbs up. That was great news to Tae. He took a deep breath, in and out. 

Tae went to the chalkboard and printed out his list-

1)Safety-Don’t Get Hurt

2)Protection-In All It’s Glory

3)Technique-Sexy Time

4)Questions

“Safety to me means no one is hurting you. If you are in a healthy sexual relationship, there is communication...give and take, safe words. If you don’t like something, you have every right to say NO, with no repercussions.”

Everyone’s eyes were on him so he kept going, “Red flags are the little voice in your head saying hey, maybe this isn’t right. If your partner is controlling, demanding that you make changes that don’t apply to them and cutting you off from the people that love you...that’s abuse. You might not see it right away, it might be building up slowly. If they hit you, if they apologize and swear it will NEVER happen again, that is abuse.”

“If you have ever been unable to give consent and were taken advantage of...that is rape. Even if you agreed to the date, even if you knew them, even if you didn’t know them. If you have ever said no and they do it anyway, that is sexual assault.” 

Tae looked up and Joon was gone but now Hobi was watching from the doorway. Tae checked his notes, “Emotional safety. How do you know when is the “right time” for your relationship to move on to the next level? Do you trust your partner? Have you both been tested for STI’s? If you are comfortable with each other, talk about it. A lot. My boyfriend and I talked about it so much. What we wanted, what we didn’t want, what scared us, things we’ve heard from other people. If you can’t talk about these things, you’re probably not ready yet. And don’t rush it. There is no like virginity club or lack of virginity club. Don’t be pushed into something you’re not ready for.”

He pulled his chair to the front of the room and sat in front of the class. “Family safety. Most people don’t think about it. For them, it’s not a concern. If you’re a part of the LGBTQ family, it is something you need to think about. Does your family know your orientation? Do you trust them not to hurt you? If you do, great. I’m like super happy for you. If you don’t, then protect yourself. At all costs. You don’t need to tell anyone ANYTHING. Your privacy is YOURS. Your safety is important and no one here will judge you on your choices. If you need anything, PRIDE is here to help as much as we can. You can ask any of us, anytime.”

Tae looked at Jimin and winked, “Now...onto protection. Condoms are probably the most used form. There are different sizes, flavors, glow in the dark (do NOT ask me how those are made) and the kind that heat up with friction. I hate those so much, but you learn with experience. Ass burning experience.”

Tae walked around and handed everyone a banana and let them pick from the variety of condom samples he had. “Please pick up your penis and roll on your condom, like so.”

“Other forms are spermicidal foam or gel and for women the birth control pill, patch or shot. I have pamphlets on the desk with more detailed information. You are welcome to take as many as you need.”

“Okay, onto number 3 Technique. It doesn’t matter if your a guy/guy, girl/girl or guy/girl couple, everyone who is new knows just the basics. If you’re like most of us, what you’ve learned is from talking to your friends and watching porn. We’ve all done it. I could tell you some stories but this is not about me. There are so many places to learn different positions, terms and anything else you’re dying to know. I also have a list of books and websites on the desk. Research not just for you partner but for yourself. What do you like? What turns you off? What are your hard limits, things that you would just never be comfortable doing? It is a LOT easier knowing before hand that being tied up causes panic attacks because you’re claustrophobic or if you have a very sensitive gag reflex that maybe oral sex isn’t for you. There is a lot more to a healthy sexual relationship than us just giving you free condoms.”

Tae stood up to walk around the room. “This is part 4 Questions. Please feel free to ask me anything that I didn’t cover and I will do my best to answer.”

A boy in the front raised his hand, “What can we do if we are being pressured from someone?”

Tae responded, “I would say move on from that partner. My boyfriend and I had immediate attraction to each other. The sexual chemistry was AMAZING. We took our time and dated for a year before we were both ready. Was it easy? No way, he’s built like a Korean god. Did we avoid anything sexual, again no. But we didn’t pressure each other for more. We talked about it many times until we were so comfortable with each other and we were sure. I think it’s fair to want that in a partner and if that isn’t what you have, keep looking. You deserve it.”

Jimin raised his hand, “Umm, can I get advice on oral sex?” He cringed but he wanted to know and if he did, odds are other people were curious too.

Tae sat on the front of his desk and picked up his condom wrapped banana, he peeled the condom off and used it as his example. “The technique is simple. Be gentle, don’t use teeth, don’t force yourself. Use your hands to touch whatever your mouth can’t reach.” Everyone stared as Tae deep throated the banana. This went on for two minutes before Hobi cleated his throat to interrupt. Tae stopped slurping and moaning, remembering that the rest of the class was still there. 

Kookie had snuck in at some point. He was staring at Tae with a dominating look in his eye, “What is your favorite sexual position?” Tae licked his lips and threw out, “Reverse cowgirl. Next question.”

Hobi raised his hand too, “Is there such a thing as too much sex?” 

Tae smiled at him sweetly, “Everyone’s sex drive is different, hopefully yours will match your partners. Compromise to make everyone in the RELATIONSHIP happy. Everyone outside of the RELATIONSHIP can listen to hot, wild, passionate love making at our house ON A DAILY BASIS or wear headphones. Class dismissed.” He stuck his tongue out at Hobi.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kisses

They had all known each other for almost three weeks now. Jimin was seeing everyone just about everyday. The attraction between him and Namjoon was growing, they were taking things slowly and getting to know each other but there was definitely a pull between them. 

Tonight, they were at the apartment and Jimin was making dinner. He had been spending a lot of time with Jin and getting a lot of advice from him. Jimin felt really comfortable around him and it was a different feeling from how he felt about Taehyung. More like an older brother and Jimin really needed that family feeling some days. 

Tonight, he was doing his best to remember his Mom’s meatloaf recipe. He looked online and took bits and pieces from several recipes to get something that was close enough.

He felt arms wrap around his waist and he was being hugged from behind. “Hello, my hard working Mini,” Joon was smiling down at him. 

Jimin put the meatloaf in the oven with his koala on his back. “Oh, I forgot,” Joon let go to grab his bag from work, “I got this for you.” He handed him a plastic bag. When Jimin opened it, there was a black and white, very fluffy stuffed animal puppy.

“For me?? He’s so cute.” Jimin beamed up at Joonie. 

“What do you want to name him?” Jimin had no idea but he was happy that Joon had thought enough about him to pick him up a present. He shrugged back. 

“He has your cute fluffy cheeks. What about Mochi?” Joon pinched Jimin’s little squishy cheeks. That sounded perfect to Jimin.

Jimin needed to finish dinner, for his own safety, he pushed Joon gently out to the dinning room table. He made mashed potatoes and set the table. 

Joon was talking about his day, it had been a pretty slow day but he felt like he accomplished more of the business side on the slow days. He had been explaining the kind of paperwork that he does whenever Jimin helped out at PROUD so he had a pretty good understanding of his role at work. 

Joon was staring at Jimin and felt a rush of emotion. How could he not? He felt like he was looking at the perfect man. Everything he learned about Jimin made him like him even more. He was sweet and considerate, he helped anyone who asked, he is so handsome with a beautiful smile and his little giggle was adorable. 

He could be temperamental and he had seen it with Kookie teasing Jimin. Joon was relieved to see some emotion because it hadn’t been an easy time and it helped him feel like Jimin wasn’t holding his feelings back with them. 

Jimin looked over to see why his Joonie had gotten so quiet. He watched him stride across the room and get very close, he was staring at Jimin’s plump lips. 

“Can I kiss you?” Namjoon was so tall, Jimin was looking up and into his eyes. He liked the quiet way that he was asked and slowly nodded his head. 

Jimin never took his eyes off of Joonie. He felt hands cup he face and watched as Joon’s face slowly came down. He had imagined that a first kiss would feel like fireworks but it didn’t. It was soft and slow and it made his tummy feel like butterflies were going crazy in there. 

When he felt Joon start to pull away, he lunged forward with a whine. “Not yet,” he whispered. He gave Joon little pecks on his lips until he was being kissed back, the way he wanted. It was slow and calm. They both jumped about a foot when the buzzer for the meatloaf went off. 

“To be continued,” Joon smirked at his favorite person. 

They enjoyed dinner and held hands until it was time to clean up. Jimin showered while Joon did the dishes. Then they switched. When the were both comfy and had freshly cleaned teeth Jimin pretty much jumped up and down, “Now?”

They were both still a little nervous but more excited. Side by side on the couch, this time Jimin started. He put one hand on Joon’s shoulder and the other pulled down gently, on his neck. When he had him close enough he hovered by his lips. Just to tease him a little. 

Joon licked his own lips that were feeling pretty dry at the moment. He could feel Jimin’s breath coming out in little puffs against his lips. He was done being patient. He closed the gap and felt how sweet his Mini’s lips were. 

There was no embarrassment, no awkwardness. They were learning together and really enjoying it. Feeling Jimin sigh, Joon took the opportunity to gently lick into Jimin’s mouth. He was met with surprised eyes looking back at him. 

He pulled back, “Please tell me when you want to stop. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable and we’ll go slow. Super slow. Sloth slow.” 

Joon felt himself being pulled forward, while Jimin laid back on the couch. “Sloth slow is fine, if there is more kissing.”

They spent the next hour slowly and fully exploring kissing. Ears, necks, jawlines and lips. Tongues were fun, gentle teeth were nice, Jimin attempted a soft hickey but nothing crazy. He could definitely feel Joon wiggle a little more after that though. Eventually, Jimin needed to pull back. He didn’t want to get carried away and he wanted time to enjoy their beginning. 

They both separated and said good night. Jimin waited until he heard the door to the bedroom close to grab his phone. He called Taetae. 

“Jimithy, we are right in the middle of...,” Jimin could hear them tussling for the phone. He heard it drop and then Tae was back, “Sorry about my future fiancé.”

He heard Kookie yell, “Snuggling! We were only snuggling.”

“Um hum. Naked snuggling. I was about to get snuggled so hard. Deep, slow and hard is my favorite type of snuggling...with those muscles. I just wanna bite ‘em. Wait, what were you saying Jiminie?”

Jimin took a deep breath, “He kissed me.”

“And how did we feel about it?” Tae sounded pretty excited. Jimin hoped he was excited for him and not for his imminent deep snuggling session.

Jimin took in a deep breath, “It was perfect. He didn’t rush me and he was so gentle I think my face is still pink from blushing so much. It was everything I wanted and I can’t wait for it to be morning so we can do it again.”

Tae was happy for him and they would definitely talk more about it tomorrow but for now, Jimin hoped he would dream about happy feelings and soft lips. 

Namjoon wanted to talk to Jin but he could wait until tomorrow. He had felt nervous but he thought all in all, it went better than he expected. No broken bones, all the furniture intact, nothing fell off the walls onto them. For him, that was the best possible outcome. He couldn’t wait to have his little Mini be his boyfriend.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second attempt, after deleting my first more embarrassing attempt. I’m open to criticism to improve, so lemme hear your thoughts, please. Should I keep going?  
> Update: I will keep at it and try to improve. I’m greatful for the feedback 🙂


End file.
